Archive | Asia

I spent 16 days in Thailand in February 2017, and visited Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Koh Lanta & Railay Beach. Yes, this only gives me a few glimpses of Asia’s most popular destination, and this is very much On The Beaten Track! It was a nice experience, though, and I could shoot a few really nice pictures… Continue Reading →

Thailand offers one of the most remarkable cultural heritages in the world, remains of a grand history and a powerful civilization that shaped Southeast Asia. Two of the places where you can dive into this glorious past are Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai.

Both are highly popular places, and it is at times challenging to escape large crowds of organized tours. It is nonetheless possible to partly do so and have a pleasant experience at both places. Continue Reading →

Thailand is famous for its stunning beaches and islands, and most of them are not exactly a hidden secret… It is even partly mass tourism at its worst! Nonetheless, you can still have an enjoyable time there, relaxing after discovering other parts of Thailand or even of Southeast Asia. My personal experience showed both sides: when Koh Lanta was actually a pleasant moment, Railay Beach proved to be one of the worst places I ever visited in my life. Continue Reading →

When visiting Thailand, you will most likely arrive and / or leave from Bangkok. I arrived and left the country from this tentacular city of 15 millions. Bangkok definitely deserves a few days, though distances between points of interest, the heavy traffic and hence the high travel times make it challenging for first time visitors to really enjoy the capital of Thailand.

A Perfect Place To Splurge A Little

Sunset at the Tew Lay Bar, Railey Beach, Krabi, Thailand

Type Of Travel

This trip to Thailand was definitely different: instead of a backpacking or “flashpacking” type of travel, it was more a mid-range to upper mid-range holiday, with comfortable hotels, convenient transports and lots of nice activities like almost one massage a day or scuba diving.

The budget displayed bellow has hence little to do with the one of a backpacker, but shows that you can splurge for a very reasonable price. Continue Reading →

We spent 5 days on the Northern Cultural Triangle (Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya & Dambulla), which was the bear minimum to be able to somehow discover those places. Then followed 3 days to get a glimpse of the Highlands and the Tea Plantations (Kandy, Nuwera Eliya & Ella). Last but not least, we headed south for one and a half day rest on the beach & whale watching in Mirissa and to discover Galle.

Easy To Travel & Full Of Highlights

Train from Kandy to Nuwera Eliya, Sri Lanka

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

Never have we bought a long-haul plane ticket 6 days before departure… But when a window of opportunity of 12 days in February 2016 aroused, the decision was quick. With only 10 days in Sri Lanka, we had to make some bitter choices, as this is not nearly enough for a country that would ideally require 3 weeks or more… Beaches were immediately out of focus, as was soon wildlife watching, because of the lack of time. Continue Reading →

A Budget Destination

Fisher Boat, Mirissa, Sri Lanka

Type Of Travel

This trip was to some extend both “Flashpacking” & “Mid-Range”. Flashpacking because we chose mostly small and cheap but pleasant guesthouses, went to small local restaurant and actually did nothing special but for… The car! Since we only had 10 days in Sri Lanka and wanted to make the most of this very limited amount of time, we rented a car with driver, which was a great comfort but a pricy proposition… So all in all we ended up with a budget at the lower end of the mid-range type of travel. Continue Reading →

Sri Lanka is famous for its stunning, partly secluded beaches and its world famous surf spots. With hardly enough time to discover the country, beaches were immediately out of focus. We solely dedicated 2 days to the south of the country. Needless to say that it is not enough… Continue Reading →

With only 3 days at hand for the Highlands & the Tea Plantations, we had once again to make choices, somehow followed the recommendations of our driver and actually ended-up doing several mistakes… Continue Reading →

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About Me

Gilles, a French Photographer, has been traveling intensively for over 15 years. These journeys - some short, others longer like two „Trips Around the World” in 2007 and in 2015, took him to more than 40 countries on all continents except Antarctica more ...